In 2015, the District of Squamish undertook an intensive community consultation process in response to a proposed LNG facility on the waterfront. The controversial proposal was causing deep divides among community members, and the District needed engagement both to calm the waters and help shape Council’s position on the issue.

MODUS worked with staff to design, brand and implement the “Speak, Listen and Learn” process, collecting over 2,700 comments from 500+ questionnaire respondents and 100 event participants in just six weeks. While opinions at the end of the process still varied, community members identified shared values and what was most important to their town.

The process included informal conversations with 15 ‘key community influencers,’ an online discussion forum that was viewed by 437 people (unique IP addresses), a public questionnaire that elicited 517 responses, and, a dialogue-based community event attended by approximately 90 people.